Forum Discussion

YWORRYDOG's avatar
YWORRYDOG
Explorer
Apr 02, 2014

generator

Sometimes when I start the generator for some reason it will not kick on the electric. I turn it off and restart it sometimes more then once then it will connect. What gives?

7 Replies

  • I do not have to plug in the generator. There is always a delay before there is power after the generator is running. Just sometimes it just never gets power to the coach. Then I turn off the generator and restart it that sometimes solves the problem. This does not happen every time.
  • Sometimes when I start the generator for some reason it will not kick on the electric. I turn it off and restart it sometimes more then once then it will connect. What gives?


    Generally your generator terminates at a 30 or 50 amp plug in the compartment where your shore power cable is, and if you aren't plugged into shore power your shore power cable should be plugged into the generator outlet.

    If it's not, you won't get 110VAC from your generator at all.

    So the first thing I would check is when the generator is running are you getting 110VAC at the generator outlet plug.

    If you do, but you aren't getting power to your 110V appliances inside, then you probably have a problem with your converter and/or circuit breakers.

    You can hear an audible "click" from our converter when the system switches from shore power to battery and vice-versa. It's possible your converter is not switching over to 110VAC when it detects it.
  • We had an old rig with an old, other brand, genset that would start but not output full or any 110vac power to the rig. We finally had the genset overhauled. It needed new "slip rings" among other parts and adjustments. Hopefully, yours has some sort of cheaper transfer switch, etc. problem
  • Depending on your transfer switch, it may have a delay for transfer after detecting power. The generator may have a delay for the engine to warm up and stabilize the RPM's before producing power.
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    And, does your coach have an Auto Transfer Switch (ATS)? If it does, you don't need to plug your shore tie cable into anything for your genset to power your coach. If it does NOT have one, then you have to plug your shore tie into a receptacle somewhere in the coach.

    I ask because this problem could relate to the genset OR the ATS.
  • I am going to assume a few things, due to the 2010 Sunseeker mention:

    You have an Onan 4000 watt MicroQuiet generator, and you hold down the start button inside the MH, it turns over and starts, but doesn't start powering things?

    Does this happen if you use the switch that is mounted on the genset itself to stop/start it?